Chapter 4: The Snake in the Grass

The toxic green light from the masked man's crystal shot through the dark alleyway like a fast snake. It was aiming right for Roxanne's chest. She could smell the bad scent of rotting flesh and old ink coming off the magic. This was the exact same smell she remembered from her new memories. It was the same magic that had been used to frame the original Roxanne von Duccat. The person standing in front of her was the real traitor. This was the hidden hand that had destroyed her noble house and put her on the execution block.

Roxanne did not have time to think about a grand plan. Her natural, bitchy college student attitude kicked in before her brain could even process the danger. She had spent her whole past life dealing with fake friends and backstabbing bitchy classmates. Seeing a guy in a literal snake mask trying to blast her made her feel more annoyed than scared.

"Oh, great. Another freak in a costume," Roxanne barked out loud. Her voice was sharp and mean, completely breaking the fake soft act from before. "Is there a sale on weird robes today? Get that fucking ugly glowing rock out of my face!"

She tried to jump to the side, using the last bits of the speed boost from the earlier quest. But her long purple dress was still heavy and wet from the fountain water. The fabric wrapped around her ankles like a tight rope, making her lose her balance. She did not fall, but she was stuck in place right in the path of the green blast.

[Oh my gosh, Host! Look! An assassin has appeared to test your bond with your beautiful men!] the System screamed in her mind. The pink digital screen popped up right in front of her face, flashing with bright little stars and stupid tiny hearts. [He is trying to shoot you because he is so insanely jealous that you are surrounded by four handsome high quality hunks! He wants to steal you away for himself! This is a classic case of a dark, obsessive lover who expresses his feelings through violent magic! It is so dramatic and beautiful, girlie!]

Roxanne’s eyes wanted to roll back out of her head. "You are a literal bimbo," Roxanne screamed back in her thoughts, her mental voice full of deep, hot anger. "He is not fucking jealous, you stupid, brainless machine! He is trying to melt my internal organs with dark magic! He is the one who framed me! If he hits me with that green rock, I am going to die for real this time! Stop making up love stories in your digital head!"

[Pff, true love always looks like a battlefield, Host!] the System replied with a silly, cheerful popping sound. [A heroine must always face her attackers with sweet, pure emotion to turn them into her loyal guards! We need to make this moment super memorable! Generating your next Main Event Quest right now!]

[Main Event Quest: The Playful Pout of De-escalation.

Objective: A dark heart can be easily melted by the ultimate power of a cute girl! Face the masked assassin, puff out your cheeks in a way that looks super cute, and give him a playful pout while making a small, angry noise. Tell him that his magic is way too loud and that he is being a big bully to a delicate lady!

Target: The Masked Snake Assassin.

Time Limit: 10 seconds.

Penalty for Failure: A sudden, painful muscle cramp in both of your legs that lasts for twelve hours, making it impossible to walk or run.

Reward for Success: 900 Bimbo Points, Active Skill: Cute Sneeze, and a 15 Minute Shield against Dark Magic.]

"I fuckin' hate you so much," Roxanne muttered in her mind, her teeth grinding together so hard her jaw ached. "I am a blunt woman with a sharp tongue. I do not fucking puff my cheeks like a cartoon character! This is the most embarrassing thing I have ever had to do!"

*Time remaining: 7 seconds... 6... 5...*

She could feel the muscles in her calves starting to tighten up with a sharp, pre-penalty pain. The System was ready to lock her legs. If her legs cramped up now, she would not be able to dodge the green light, and she would be a sitting duck for the guards too. Her practical survival mind won the fight against her pride once again. She had to do it.

"Fine! Fucking activate the stupid pout, you dumb bimbo!" Roxanne roared mentally.

She forced her body to stop moving away. She turned her torso directly toward the masked man, looked straight at his weird snake mask, and inhaled deeply. She puffed her cheeks out until they were round like two small pink apples. She let her lips stick out in a big, dramatic, playful pout, and she made a soft, annoyed noise from the back of her throat.

"Stop it! You are being a big bully!" Roxanne shouted, her voice automatically mixing with her Sweet Honey Voice skill. It sounded incredibly cute, light, and childishly angry. "Your green light is way too bright and totally loud! You are ruining my hair and being mean to a delicate lady! Go away, you creep!"

The masked assassin froze completely. His bony hand shook, and the green light coming out of the crystal flickered wildly like a dying candle. In all his years of working for the secret dark conspiracy, he had killed lords, generals, and high priests. Every single victim had screamed, cried, or tried to fight back with steel. He had never, in his entire life, had a high noble traitor puff her cheeks and call him a bully in a super cute voice. It broke his brain completely. His dark magic circle broke apart into tiny green sparks that vanished into the air.

"What... what are you doing?" the masked man stammered, his dry voice full of complete confusion. He stepped back by one inch, looking at her like she had just grown a second head. "Are you mad, Roxanne von Duccat? I am here to kill you!"

[Quest Complete! Oh my gosh, Host, look at him! He is totally stunned by your raw cuteness!] the System cheered loudly, making a happy bell ring inside her head. [He literally could not even finish his attack because your playful pout was too powerful for his dark heart to handle! You just tamed a dangerous killer with a single look, girlie! This is true heroine power!]

"He is not tamed, you bimbo!" Roxanne snapped back in her thoughts, her face returning to a hard, angry glare. "He is just confused because he has never met someone being forced to act like an idiot by a pink computer screen! Now give me my shield before he remembers he has a weapon!"

[Rewards Given: 900 Bimbo Points added to your wallet. Active Skill: Cute Sneeze unlocked. 15 Minute Dark Magic Shield applied to Host's body!]

A faint, pale pink glow wrapped around Roxanne's skin, so light that the masked man could barely see it in the dark alley. But Roxanne could feel the warm protection. 

The masked man shook his head, his confusion turning back into anger. "I don't care what kind of trick this is," he hissed, raising the green crystal again. "You die tonight!"

Before he could cast another magic spell, a loud explosion of golden light and dark shadow blasted out from behind Roxanne. The pile of four powerful men had finally untangled themselves from the dirty floor, and they were completely furious. Their clothes were messy, their faces were covered in dust, and their eyes were filled with real fire.

"Get your filthy hands away from her!" Prince Julian roared. He had scrambled up from the floorboards, his face covered in dark dirt, his golden hair completely wild and messy. He didn't have his gold sword in his hand yet, but he threw a massive punch made of pure golden royal energy straight toward the assassin. The golden blast ripped through the air, making a loud whistling sound.

"Die, shadow vermin!" Alistair bellowed at the same time. The Sword Commander had grabbed his massive broadsword from the ground. He swung it with one giant arm, sending a huge wave of sharp blue wind cutting through the stones of the alley. The blue power was so strong it tore up the dust from the floor.

High Priest Ethan raised his silver staff, his pale eyes flashing with white holy light. "A servant of the snake! The light shall burn you to ash!" A huge ball of white fire shot from the tip of his staff, lighting up the narrow space like a hot daytime sun.

Malakai did not shout a single word. He simply vanished into the deep shadows on the ground, moving like a fast black snake toward the masked man’s feet with his small daggers drawn. His movement was completely silent and lethal.

The three massive magical attacks, gold, blue, and white, slammed into the space around the masked assassin all at once. The force of the combined power was so huge that it created a massive shockwave of hot wind. The stone walls of the alleyway began to crack and crumble. Dirt, small stones, and old pieces of wood flew everywhere through the air.

The masked man’s snake mask turned toward the incoming attacks. He realized he could not fight all four leaders at the same time. He was completely outnumbered by the strongest men in the empire. He quickly smashed his green crystal onto the floorboards under his boots. A thick wall of toxic green smoke exploded outward, swallowing his body completely and blocking the heavy magic attacks.

*Boom!*

The gold energy, blue wind, and holy fire hit the green smoke, causing a massive explosion that shook the entire block of buildings. The sound was like thunder, and windows on the street cracked from the noise. Roxanne was thrown backward by the heavy wind, her feet sliding on the wet stone floor. But before she could hit the brick wall, a strong, metal clad arm wrapped around her waist from behind, holding her steady.

She looked up and saw Prince Julian. His white armor was dented and dirty from the fountain water and the big pile up, but he was holding her tightly against his chest. His bright blue eyes were looking at the green smoke with deep concern, his chest heaving as he breathed fast.

"Are you hurt, Roxanne?" Julian asked, his voice sounding rough and slightly out of breath. He looked down at her face, his eyes searching for wounds or blood. For a brief second, his royal anger was completely gone, replaced by a strange, protective worry that he had never shown to the old villainess. His hands were actually trembling a little bit.

"I am fine, your highness," Roxanne said, her sharp tongue slipping out before she could stop it. "But your metal armor is digging into my fuckin' spine again. Seriously, do you people ever learn how to hold a woman without trying to break her bones? It is incredibly annoying and totally ruins my posture."

Julian’s face turned bright red in an instant. The protective look vanished, replaced by his usual angry glare. He did not let go of her waist right away, but his grip became a little more stiff and wooden. "You... you ungrateful woman! I just saved your life from a dark assassin, and you are complaining about my armor?! You should be thanking me on your knees! And stop cussing! A woman should not cussed!"

"So what? A woman should cussed whenever they want, you have no right to stop them, you're oh so high and mighty, Goldie!"

The moment Roxanne said those, Julian's face turned more red than before. "Don't test my patience, woman! Or you want me to stop you myself from cussing? I have ways you never want to imagine."

"What the fuck...?"

[Oh my gosh, Host! Look how he is holding you against his royal chest! And the way he said those lines to you!] the System squealed in absolute joy, the pink screen flashing with little dancing prince animations in her mind. [He asked if you were hurt with so much passion! His royal heart is totally melting! He wants to be your big, strong shield! And look at how red his face is! He is so intensely tsundere right now, girlie! He is practically begging for a kiss! Give him a sweet smile right now!]

"He is red because he wants to strangle me, bimbo!" Roxanne yelled back in her mind, her fingers tapping against his metal arm in pure irritation. "He is a prince who has never been talked back to by a prisoner! Stop trying to make every death glare look like a wedding proposal! Your brain is entirely made of pink fluff and nonsense!"

The green smoke in the alleyway quickly cleared away under the heavy wind from the knights' swords. When it was gone, the masked assassin was completely gone too. There was no body on the floor. Only a small pile of broken green crystal dust was left on the cracked stones where he had been standing a few seconds ago.

"Tsk. He used a shadow step crystal to teleport away," Malakai said, stepping out from a dark shadow near the brick wall. His dark daggers were back in his leather belt, and his amber eyes were narrow and dark with deep irritation. He looked around the empty alleyway, his mouth pulled into a straight line. "He was prepared for a quick escape. He is part of the high level network that runs beneath the capital."

Alistair walked over, his massive broadsword resting heavily on his shoulder. His grey eyes looked at the broken crystal dust on the floor, then they shifted over to look at Roxanne, who was still held by the Prince. Alistair’s face twitched slightly when he saw Julian’s arm around her waist. A strange, cold look passed through his eyes, like a dog seeing someone else play with its favorite bone. He quickly looked away, clearing his throat loudly to hide his feelings.

"Your Highness," Alistair said, his voice stiff and official. "The assassin used the exact same magic signature that was found on the secret documents in Lady Roxanne’s room. This proves that what she said earlier might actually be true. Someone else is pulling the strings from the dark. If we had killed her today on the stage, the real traitor would have won completely, and we would have executed an innocent woman."

High Priest Ethan walked over slowly, his white robes rustling against the stones. The mud from the fountain did not seem to stick to his holy clothes at all. He looked at Roxanne with his pale blue eyes, his face calm like smooth marble once again. But his gaze stayed on her for a long time, studying every line of her face. "The snake assassin tried to silence her before she could speak to the crown. The goddess has shown us a clear sign tonight. Her life must be preserved until we uncover the full truth of this deep corruption."

Julian looked at Alistair, then at Ethan, and finally down at Roxanne. His blue eyes were full of complicated, heavy thoughts. He slowly took his arm away from her waist, stepping back by one foot. He smoothed down his dirty gold cape, trying to regain his royal dignity in front of his men.

"Very well," Julian declared, his voice carrying his absolute authority once again. "The execution is officially canceled. Roxanne von Duccat will not die today. But she is still not free. She is still a suspect. She will be kept under high guard in the royal guest palace, not the dark dungeon, until we find the man in the snake mask. Alistair, Malakai, Ethan, you will all stay in the palace to watch her every move. She is too strange and dangerous to be left alone."

"Great. A royal house arrest with four giant babysitters," Roxanne muttered out loud, her sharp mouth showing no fear of the prince or his guards. "Can I at least get some clean clothes and a warm meal? I smell like old pond water, and this dress is a total disaster. I am not going to sit in a fancy palace looking like a drowned rat just to make you guys feel comfortable."

Julian stared at her, his jaw tightening so hard she could hear his teeth click. "You will get what is proper for a high prisoner, Roxanne. Do not push your luck. Your tongue is going to get you into trouble one day."

[Wow! A royal guest palace stay with all four love interests!] the System cheered, making a happy horn sound in her head. The pink screen started drawing a map of a giant mansion with little heart icons over each room. [This is literal peak romance novel plotting! You are going to live under the same roof with the knight, the prince, the priest, and the assassin! The tension is going to be so delicious, girlie! They will be walking past your door every single night, thinking about your sweet scent! Generating your long term goal rewards right now!]

Roxanne did not listen to the bimbo machine. She looked at the four powerful men standing around her in the dark alley. They were all watching her with different expressions, anger, suspicion, cold curiosity, and hidden interest. She knew her fight for survival had just begun. The original villainess had been framed for a world ending conspiracy, and Roxanne had to use her modern common sense and her sharp tongue to clear her name while dealing with these dangerous leaders.

Suddenly, a loud, deep rumble shook the ground again, much bigger than before. It was not from the alleyway, and it was not from any magic attack. The entire city of the capital seemed to tilt for a brief second.

High up in the sky above the imperial castle, the clouds turned a dark, toxic purple color. The regular stars vanished. A massive, glowing eye made of dark green fire opened up within the clouds, staring down at the capital city with pure malice. The light from the eye was cold and heavy, making everyone feel a sudden sickness in their stomachs.

"The seal of the ancient dragon," Ethan gasped, his pale face turning completely white as his silver staff shook in his hand. His holy light flickered and almost went out. "It is breaking ahead of time! The world is coming to an end!"

The green fire from the sky cast long, creepy shadows across the alleyway. The guards began to panic, their armor clanking as they looked up at the giant eye. Prince Julian gripped his sword handle, his face tight with fear. Alistair stepped in front of Julian, his sword ready to fight the sky itself. Malakai looked at the eye with a serious, dark expression, his shadows twisting around his boots like nervous animals.

"This is bad," Malakai muttered, his smooth voice losing its playful tone completely. "The ancient texts said the seal would hold for another hundred years. Someone must have tampered with the core magic stones under the castle."

Roxanne looked up at the giant flaming eye in the sky. Her modern, pragmatic mind did not know much about dragons or ancient seals, but she knew a giant monster eye in the clouds meant total trouble. She looked down at her hands, which were still covered in dust from the broken wood of the scaffold. 

Suddenly, her pink system screen flashed a bright red warning light, the first time it had changed color since she arrived in this world.

[Warning! Warning! Host, the world destiny has been changed!] the System cried out, its voice losing a bit of its silly tone, replaced by loud alarms. [The dark conspiracy has started the final boss event early! The world ending dragon is waking up because the core seal stones have been stolen! And guess what, girlie?]

"What?" Roxanne thought back, her mind filled with a very bad feeling. "Don't tell me..."

[The letters that framed the original Roxanne von Duccat say that she was the one who stole the core seal stones!] the System stated with a digital gasp sound. [The whole empire thinks you have the magic keys to the dragon's prison right now! If the eye opens fully, everyone will blame you for the destruction of the world!]

Roxanne’s jaw tightened. Her sharp tongue wanted to curse every single god in the universe. "So not only am I a fucking traitor, but I am also the person who is supposed to end the fuckin' world? This story gets better and better every single minute."

"Roxanne!" Prince Julian turned to her, his blue eyes flashing with a mix of terror and deep accusation under the green light of the sky. He stepped toward her, his heavy boots loud against the stone. "The eye... the dragon's seal... You truly did it, didn't you? You didn't just sell secrets to the border. You gave the keys of the seal to the dark cult! Tell me where the stones are!"

Alistair turned his head too, his grey eyes full of pain and confusion. He looked at her wet face, his hand tightening on his weapon. "Lady Roxanne... tell us it is a lie. Tell us you don't want to destroy the world."

Roxanne looked at the four men who were all turning their suspicions back onto her. The small amount of trust she had built with her logic and her tears was completely gone in a second because of the giant eye in the sky. She stood alone in the center of the dark alley, the red twilight turning into a creepy green night.

"Oh, come on!" Roxanne yelled out loud, her bitchy attitude exploding at maximum power. She threw her hands up in the air, completely fed up with the drama. "You guys are unbelievable! Look at me! I am soaking wet, my dress is ripped, I just fell into a dirty fountain, and I almost got my head chopped off! Do I look like a master criminal who can control a giant sky dragon?! Use your brains for once in your life, you big dumb heroes!"

Before any of the men could answer her angry shout, the giant eye in the clouds blinked. A massive beam of green fire shot down from the sky, hitting the main tower of the imperial castle just a few blocks away. The stone tower exploded into a million pieces, and a loud, terrifying roar that sounded like grinding rocks echoed across the entire world.

The wind from the castle explosion hit the alleyway like a physical wall, knocking the guards to the ground. The darkness rushed back in as the green fire spread across the castle walls.

[New Main Event Quest Generated!] the System announced suddenly, the pink text flashing right over the image of the burning castle. 

[Main Event Quest: The Heroine's First Royal Sleepover.

Objective: The castle is burning, and the world is ending, but love never sleeps! Survive the journey to the royal guest palace by holding hands with at least two of your love interests at the same time to share your 'delicate maidenly fear'. You must convince them to carry you if your legs feel 'too weak' from the scary dragon roar.

Targets: Any two of the four leaders.

Time Limit: 5 minutes.

Penalty for Failure: Your hair will turn bright neon green and stay that way for a whole month, completely ruining your high noble style.

Reward for Success: 1000 Bimbo Points, Passive Skill: Sweet Rose Smell upgrade, and a Legendary Item: The Key to the Secret Vault.]

Roxanne looked at the text, then she looked at the burning castle tower, and then she looked at the four furious, terrified men who were staring at her with weapons in their hands. Her sharp tongue could not even find the words to express her deep hatred for this situation.

"You fucking bimbo," Roxanne thought to the system, her mental voice completely cold. "A literal, total bimbo. If we fucking survive this night, I am going to fucking delete you from my head with a fucking rock."

She took a deep breath, looked at Prince Julian and Sword Commander Alistair, who were closest to her, and prepared her hands for the most annoying hand holding session of her entire life as the ground beneath them began to split open.